Swallowable gas-sensing capsules (about the size of a vitamin pill), developed by RMIT University in collaboration with Monash University and Atmo Bioscience, detect and measure hydrogen, carbon dioxide and oxygen in the gut in real time, 3,000 times faster than those currently used to diagnose many The technique for intestinal disease is more accurate.
Intestinal gas is currently used to diagnose diseases including small intestinal bacterial overgrowth and carbohydrate malabsorption. One in five people worldwide will suffer from a gastrointestinal disorder in their lifetime, and nearly one in three remains undiagnosed due to a lack of reliable gastroenterology testing methods. Professor Kourosh Kalantar-Zadeh, lead author of the RMIT study and co-inventor of the capsule, said: “The results demonstrate a high sensitivity and signal-to-noise ratio in measuring the concentration of hydrogen in the intestine, providing valuable information ON the site of intestinal gas production. “the University.
“This gives us confidence that our new technology can solve many of the mysteries of intestinal disease and help a large segment of the population for which useful symptomatic diagnoses or treatments cannot be found.”
The results of the first-in-human trial showed that oxidative chemicals released in the stomach broke down and defeated foreign bodies that remained in the stomach for longer than usual. This immune mechanism has never been reported. The team’s new paper, published in the journal Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics, directly compares the measurement of intestinal hydrogen production via a gas-sensitive capsule with indirect measurements of hydrogen via a breath test.
Nine healthy individuals were tested in a blinded controlled study of absorbable versus fermentable carbohydrates.
“The second human trial has revealed information on intestinal gas production that was previously masked when measured indirectly through breathing,” said Dr Kyle Berean, co-inventor of the capsule at RMIT University and Atmo Bioscience. “The false positive and false negative diagnoses are alcohol exhalation. Testing, giving the ratio is a real problem with gastroenterology.”
“Being able to measure these biomarkers at concentrations more than 3,000 times greater than alcohol in a breath test is quite amazing.” “It is important that this test is non-invasive and allows patients to continue with their daily life as normal. .”